Sister Samantha, 30, and mum Jackie, 47, claim Kendra was failed by the NHS, as she visited a Stockton GP practice “at least 18 times” in the past 17 months - with no referral for tests or to a specialist.

Samantha, manageress of The Empire, in Middlesbrough, says Kendra also visited a Stockton walk-in clinic three times and went to accident and emergency at the University Hospital of North Tees on another three occasions due to her worsening symptoms.

But her family claims she was “passed over”, sent home or back to her own GP, without being fully examined or referred to a specialist.

Samantha said: “I just feel we have been failed massively. It is not just one medical practitioner, there have been a handful of people who have seen her, took her symptoms and said, ‘just keep taking your tablets for irritable bowel syndrome’ - without even doing a simple blood test.”

Samantha says Kendra began suffering shortly after the birth of her youngest son, Assac, in May 2011, with symptoms including a bloated tummy “to the point where she looked six months’ pregnant,” lethargy and severe abdominal pain.

She initially saw her own GP in Stockton but over 17 months also saw his colleagues in the same practice.

Samantha says her sister took the pills she was prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome, but told doctors when she realised they weren’t working.

Nine months ago, after months of no progress, Kendra told a GP she must be imagining her worsening symptoms - and was prescribed antidepressants.

However, Kendra’s condition continued to get worse and during a holiday to Scarborough with her children in the summer break, she couldn’t get out of bed. Once home, she began vomiting blood.

This time mum Jackie, a housekeeper, went to see a doctor with her and demanded she be sent to hospital.

She was admitted to North Tees, but it took several weeks before the family received the devastating cancer diagnosis on September 28.

Samantha and Jackie raised concerns over Kendra’s treatment in hospital, where they say she spent several weeks with no treatment barring pain relief, either before or after her diagnosis.

Eventually, the family was told her cancer had spread to other abdominal organs and her bones, and there was no treatment available.

She was admitted to Butterwick Hospice in Stockton, where she passed away on Sunday.

Jackie, Samantha, and their younger sister Star, 17, have been left devastated, as have Kendra’s partner, Arfan, 25, and sons Aliem, eight, Ameer, seven, Harris, five, and Asaac.

Jackie described Kendra as a “devoted mum” who “went everywhere” with her four children - and always had a dazzling smile for everyone.

She said: “Other girls her age are into going clubbing and leaving their kids with their parents, but not Kendra.

“She was always in with them. She was so placid and would never shout at them. She didn’t go out drinking and she didn’t smoke. She worked nights in mental health care but would be up in the morning to get them ready for school.

“She never complained, even through her illness and wouldn’t hear a bad word about anybody. She believed anger was a waste of time.”

Samantha said: “We know her cancer was incurable but if it had been found early, it could have been managed. She could have lived to see her kids growing up. But it got to the stage where they couldn’t prolong her life with anything.”

A spokeswoman for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said: “We can understand the family are absolutely devastated for the loss of Kendra and our sincerest sympathies are with her family.”

A spokeswoman from NHS Tees Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), said: “We are extremely saddened by this tragic case and our thoughts are with Kendra’s family at this difficult time. The quality of care provided for our patients is of the utmost importance and we would encourage Kendra’s family to contact us so that we can discuss their concerns.”